Wembanyama after his first card in the NBA: “If I stay at this level, we can consider this as a start”

Victor Wembanyama (French player for Spurs, after the 132-121 victory in Phoenix): “(on his ability to impact at the end of the match) It's an obligation if we want to be ambitious. (…) Each match is different. This is already our third victory. Every match, we try to find the spots where we can hurt them. Tonight (Thursday) it was me, tomorrow it might be someone else. This is how great teams work. When you want to be a great team, you have to play with everyone. (…) It starts with defense, energy. They have such good players offensively that we absolutely had to focus on that. And it worked, especially in the first half, we had a big lead. (10 points out of 12 after Phoenix equalized in the last quarter) Someone has to do it (smile). But tomorrow it will be one of my teammates. Two days earlier, it was Keldon (Johnson). This is how we operate as a group and a team. (…)

I always had players in my face who wanted to hit me. There are the best athletes in the world in the NBA. So far, it’s working pretty well… Records? It makes me want to go even higher and break all these records. Main lesson? A 20-point lead is nothing. In both ways. (on his three points at the end of the first period) It's more instinct. In the NBA you have to make big plays, try to kill your opponent as soon as possible, otherwise you have no chance, where there are many of the world's greatest talents. (…) I make rookie mistakes, that’s normal. The coach, his priority is to make the team win, he can't let me do anything, but in the end, it mainly depends on me, my choices and respecting his instructions. This is what will lead to great freedom and good performance. (…) If I had a better match it is surely because I made better choices. Birth certificate ? No, but maybe if I stay at this level of performance, we can consider this a start. Early Frenchman at 38 points? It’s a source of pride.”

Comments collected at a press conference